


The Lucky Lekku

by chaosLydia



Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Alexsandr Kallus vs Pop Music
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-06
Updated: 2019-09-23
Packaged: 2019-10-23 15:35:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17686199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaosLydia/pseuds/chaosLydia
Summary: Agent Alexsandr Kallus gets a ridiculous mission: investigate a boy band to look for a Rebel spy.This isn't just any boy band. It's the Lucky Lekku, the most popular band in the galaxy, so popular that the Empire can't touch them.





	1. The Mission

**Author's Note:**

> So I've had this idea for awhile. If you read my other fic, Forces of Gravity, (minor spoiler) I was going to have Thrawn's daughter love Pop music. That's where I started thinking about Pop bands in Star Wars, what would happen if they had a band like N*Sync, and what if that band hated the Empire?  
> That's where this came from. 
> 
> In my mind, The Lucky Lekku are like Starish from Uta no Prince-Sama (Japanese sub, cause that English version is real bad). Just look up one of those videos on youtube and have fun with that.

Artwork by Elisa (@elfadell on Twitter) and my co-podcaster Chris (Jaig Eyes and Jedi podcast)

They were the Lucky Lekku, the greatest Pop band the galaxy had ever seen.

Three Twi’lek men gifted with their voices to spread messages of love and unity. Every night when they stepped out on the stage in sold out arenas, they were the center of the universe. Fans flocked to whatever planet they went to, causing mass chaos and pandemonium. Their screams could be heard for miles around, only drowned out by the sultry songs mixed with techno upbeat music. The Lucky Lekku danced their hearts out for their followers. The lights, the noise, the pacing, the love all around them.

Their songs once focused on spending a fun weekend with a girlfriend or partying until dawn. But now, their target was spreading love against hate, bringing awareness to the oppressive government and their harm to planets like Ryloth, and being a public voice for those too scared to speak.

They were a musical force to be reckoned with.

And the Empire couldn’t touch them.

 

Layne opened the door to the green room after another successful concert and picked up a towel to wipe the sweat from his forehead and lekku. He was careful not to mess up the carefully weaved beads that adorned his teal headtails. The costume designer had worked so hard on them.

“Are you insane!” Estin, the green skinned member of their group, stormed in just behind him. A bit of dark jade filled his cheeks as he huffed, “You can’t end a show by screaming ‘Take it to the bucket heads!’ You’re going to get us killed!”

“Come on,” Layne flopped back in a chair and snatched up the bottle of sparkling water on his nightstand. “It was just a saying and the crowd loved it.”

Their lilac third member, J.J., shut the door and crossed his arms, “I have to agree with Estin on this one. Some of those ‘bucket heads’ are part of our security detail to the next city. You can’t just say things like that.”

Layne rolled his eyes, “I didn’t realize you loved the Empire so much. Didn’t stop you from writing ‘Cynda’s Tears of Starlight.’”

Estin stood over him, “It’s one thing with J.J. writing music. It’s easier to hide those kind of things when it’s art. Art is subjective! I saw some crazy propaganda blog saying we were celebrating the Imperial power on Cynda. Whatever. Fine. If they want to think that way, fine. But saying something so blatant and invoking violence against the Empire is a completely different thing! You’re going to get us shot!”

Leaning far back in his chair, Layne glanced around him at J.J., “He’s being paranoid again.”

“He’s not the only one.” J.J. took his own seat and rubbed his eyes. “We should put out a statement about it.”

Layne snorted, “No. Having an opinion isn’t wrong.”

Estin turned suddenly towards the door like he knew someone was there. He always seemed to know those kind of things.

And moments later, the door flung open and there stood a tall Pau’an woman in her 70s, quite young for her species, teeth baring, and looking like a well-dressed nightmare. It was their manager, Kiyani, a legend in the music business since the days of the Republic. Deep red hues sunk into her white face as she slammed the door, “You idiots have some explaining to do.”

“Layne did it,” J.J. and Estin pointed at their bandmate.

 

Agent Kallus stared across the desk at Colonel Yularen in complete disbelief, “I’m sorry. Can you repeat that?”

Amused, knowing it wasn’t a normal request, Yularen sat back in his chair and stroked his mustache, “You heard me correctly. I would like you to infiltrate that music band, the Lucky Lekku, posing as a member of their security detail. After this _stunt_ they pulled in their concert the other night, this kind of blatant disrespect towards the Empire cannot be tolerated. We have already received reports of some of their fans heckling stormtroopers, and one account of a trooper being attacked. Luckily, his armor protected him keeping him from any serious injuries.”

“With all due respect, sir, they do have an amount of freedom of speech in music that is protected by Imperial law,” Kallus stated firmly, though he couldn’t believe in the back of his mind he was defending a Pop band.

Yularen nodded, “Yes, but I haven’t told you the other half of your mission. We have noticed patterns in their previous and current tour. After their performances at some planets, small Rebel cells have attacked Imperial structures in the days after their departure. The attacks vary in the time after they leave, but it has happened on multiple occasions. We have reason to believe that someone in the band or their staff is a Rebel spy.”

“A boy band is a group of Rebel spies?” Kallus raised an eyebrow, not believing the words coming out of his mouth.

Yularen’s smile grew wider, knowing how ridiculous is sounded, “I know what you’re thinking, but we do have evidence from the last four years to support it. The attacks have ramped up in this current tour.”

“Why not just bring the accusations against them, have them arrested, and put them on trial then? No one is above the law.”

Kallus, so firmly set in his morals, Yularen thought. “Because of how wildly popular they are. If something happened to those Twi’lek boys, half the galaxy would riot. That’s why this is a reconnaissance mission first. If this is proven false, then those boys can continue to make their trash music all they want. But if one of them or someone in their staff is in fact a Rebel spy, then we must proceed carefully. A staff member can easily be arrested, but if it’s one of the band members themselves, then we must be careful. Are you up for the challenge?”

Kallus sighed heavily, leaning back in his chair. What a silly mission. He wondered if he was the first choice or if other ISB agents turned down this job. Who wanted to pal around with snobby music artists for months on end as security?

But he also understood the nature of this mission. He couldn’t deny the popularity of the Lucky Lekku. No one could even buy bread from the store without hearing their music playing. Somehow without trying, Kallus knew at least two of their names, pop culture imprinting itself in his memory against his will. He also knew how much money, influence especially on younger generations, and power this band truly had.

While it sounded stupid on the surface, Kallus understood the importance of this mission. Firmly, he nodded to Yularen, “I’m on it.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is now a podfic over on Jaig Eyes and Jedi podcast!  
> http://twotruefreaks.com/shows.php?show=49#4388


	2. Layne

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kallus starts his mission infiltrating the Lucky Lekku starting with the most outspoken member, Layne.

The first week of Kallus’ undercover mission was far more eye opening than he thought it would be. Not that he found any evidence of a Rebel spy, but for the amount of hard work everyone put into a music tour. The stagehands could put up and take down an entire stage, run light and sound tests, repair and create more costumes, and more within a day. It was fascinating to watch, reminding Kallus of the functions of a well commanded Star Destroyer. Each person knew their place. Each person knew their job. It was organization and coordination, something that Kallus always highly respected. 

To further his surprise, he didn’t realize how hard the Lucky Lekku themselves worked. They were constantly participating in sound checks, practicing dance moves, and when not doing that, they were whisked off to interviews with local stations or speaking events at the planet they visited. That’s where Kallus’ new job was as he constantly followed them from place to place, watching from a safe distance as a security guard. He found himself enjoying this part of the job too, watching crowds for any possible attackers. Though unlike the Imperial security for this city, he didn’t wear stormtrooper armor or any Imperial regulated uniforms which was fine. This wasn’t his first undercover mission. Instead, he wore regular civilian clothes except for the security badge with the Lekku’s record company’s logo on it clipped to his vest.

Today, he was assigned to follow Layne around from one interview to another. The other two-- J.J. and… Estin. Yes, Kallus was learning their names-- were tied up in sound tests and in Estin’s case, he was prone to migraines. Their manager, Kiyani, insisted he rested before the show that night.

Estin got migraines.... Another random fact Kallus had learned. Knowledge he would most certainly purge from his mind after this mission.

Standing in a television studio as the interview finished, Kallus watched as Layne said goodbye to the news anchors before heading to a nearby table. He picked up two water bottles before coming to join Kallus. Layne held out one, “Here you go, Alex.”

“Oh?” Kallus took the water bottle. “That’s quite alright.”

“I don’t think you’ve drank anything since we’ve been here. We’re going to be on the move all day. Hydration is important,” Layne shook the bottle at him insisting. 

He noticed something like that? Kallus wondered to himself as he took the bottle, “Thank you.”

Satisfied, Layne led him towards the hallway to the green room. Kiyani waited for them before following once he past. Layne smiled to Kallus, “I know you’re the new guy here. It was nice of you to fill in last minute when Luke’s wife had that emergency.”

The cover story he used to get in with their personal entourage, “Yes. Hopefully she will feel better soon.”

Layne continued, “I know it’s crazy jumping into a concert tour right in the middle of things. You’re really picking this up real fast!”

“I like detailed-oriented work,” Kallus admitted. “The security organizer and Miss Kiyani have both been quite thorough with briefing me.”

Kiyani snorted, “You picked it up faster than Luke did.”

Layne frowned, “Luke is a great guy.”

“Doesn’t mean he’s not an idiot,” she retorted. Her long Pau’an fingers extended to push the door open for him. “Get your things, and prepare to leave in ten minutes. We have one more interview to get to.” She whisked herself away. 

Kallus knew from the first two interviews that morning that she was more than likely checking to make sure their speeder was prepared. 

Layne didn’t have much with him in the green room other than a personal bag. But he did stop to check himself in the mirror to adjust his clothing. He glanced at Kallus in the reflection, “So where are you from, Alex?”

“Coruscant,” he answered.

“The nice parts or the bad parts?”

“The middle parts,” Kallus smirked. It wasn’t a lie or part of his cover story, but still vague enough. “It was mostly safe, but we would have the occasional crime spree that would make my mother shelter me for weeks. Normalcy would return before it all cycled again. Got particularly tense during the Clone Wars.”

“Well, Coruscant was safer than Ryloth back then.” Layne shouldered his bag before leading them out the door. “Not that it’s much better now.”

There was a tenseness in his voice that lingered over the room. Kallus knew he shouldn’t go deeper. An agent should never get too personally invested with those he was spying on.

But this did present an opportunity to get information from the most vocal of the Lekku boys.

Kallus said with a heavy tone, “I’ve heard some stories about Ryloth’s condition, but from what I can tell, whatever is happening is not known across the rest of the galaxy.”

“Tell me about it,” Layne scoffed and led them out into the hallway.

“It’s brave of you to speak out like you do.”

“If we don’t speak the truth,” Layne’s face hardened, “Then the Empire’s lies will continue to spread. My people are starving. Their ancestral homes are being occupied against their wills. Parents vanish overnight and their children wake up alone with no one there.”

Kallus pursed his lips at that thought. He had briefed himself on Ryloth, but all his information was from Imperial sources. They had tightened its grip on the rebellious planet as it was one of the most vocal against the Empire. While this all sounded horrible, it was the order of things. If the Twi’leks were breaking Imperial law, they must be dealt with in accordance to the rules.

Kallus glanced at the singer, “Is your family still there?”

Layne shook his head, “We have all of our families in safe places. J.J.’s parents are on Coruscant. Estin’s family moved in with his sister who works on Naboo. My dad and brother stayed at first, but I finally convinced them to go to somewhere else.”

“And your mother.”

“She was killed when I was very young during the Clone Wars,” he said in a quiet voice. “I don’t remember her much, but she was a hunter for our village. She chose to fight to help liberate our planet… Which makes me so mad we fell under occupation again. It’s like her death wasn’t even worth it.”

Kallus slowed his gait a moment but quickly fell back in step. He opened his mouth a moment, but nothing came out other than a quiet, “I’m sorry…”

Layne smirked, “It’s why I wrote a song for her. I wanted to honor her legacy. And I like to think as long as I’m speaking out against those assholes, she would be be proud of me.”

Kallus was one of these supposed assholes. As they rejoined Kiyani and climbed into a speeder, he sat back in the seat and pondered those words. It was a point of view for sure. He, of course, understood war. He understood that the enemy he always faced believed they were fighting for what they perceived as the right thing. War, at its core, was a clash of ideals from two or more sides. The winner chose the new ideals going forward and set their own laws.

It’s not like Kallus agreed with what Layne told him about Ryloth, but Kallus also didn’t have proof that these atrocities were happening. For all he knew, it was from rebel propaganda or from that Syndulla leader who was a known terrorist against the Empire.

He watched Layne as they drove across the city. The Twi’lek’s teal lekku fluttered in the breeze as Kiyani drove. He sang a cheesy song on the radio too loud to the point where Kiyani barked at him to save his voice for tonight. He was happy, young, and free in a way that many probably didn’t know.

But Kallus also knew that if people gave the Empire’s ways a chance, if they understood that some freedoms have to be lost for protection, then the Empire would work.

He looked down at the half drank bottle of water in his hand.

Layne was kind even if he was a frivolous and outspoken. At the last interview of the day, the singer had the tv hosts howling with laughter. He had a great balance and sense of when to apply humor and when to speak seriously on issues he was passionate about. Then, he would always end on an upbeat note, encouraging fans to take care of themselves.

Kallus would occasionally find himself chuckling too.

Kanfi Handi, the talk show host, leaned in the final minute and dropped a quick, “That’s well and fine until you’re inciting violence against others.”

Layne faltered. Kallus saw out of the corner of his eye Kiyani tensed up. This hadn’t been on the list of topics they had been given for discussion. 

But the singer nodded slowly, “I know what I said at our show a couple weeks ago. I understand how those words could be taken out of context. The truth is, that wasn’t out of context. I do get mad at the Empire. It makes my blood boil knowing what they are doing to our planet.” He squared his shoulders, “But it didn’t make it right that I said it. There should never be any circumstances where we incite violence against another person. That is not the Lucky Lekku way. Those fans acted out of line. But they acted because of the words I said. I am sorry to the Imperials that were attacked and their families. We didn’t publicize it, but we did reach out and cover their medical bills.”

Kanfi raised an eyebrow, “Really? That’s very charitable of you.”

“Have you seen the healthcare plan of lower ranked stormtroopers?” Layne scoffed. “It’s terrible, and a lot of people who enlist are people who don’t have other options for jobs. The Empire took their work or farms or homes, and they need to make money for their families. And then the Empire sends them to warzones only to cover 11% of their medical bills? That’s not a benevolent Empire. That’s a cheapskate pinching pennies against their own people. And those not in their ranks are worse.”

Kanfi pointed at him, “You know we’re going to check that stormtrooper number.”

“Please do,” Layne winked, “Because I did my research when we paid those troopers’ medical bills.”

Kallus blinked quickly at the exchange. Layne… wasn’t wrong. Some of the cases Kallus worked on in his early days at the I.S.B. were corruption cases especially from senators and high ranked officials who had transferred over from the Republic. They filed multiple fraudulent claims in the transfer of power and much of the lower soldiers lost benefits while the wealthy flourished from the money.

But as the Twi’lek finished the interview, Kallus realized it was such a brilliant and subtle way to rebel. By stating that the Empire couldn’t even take care of their own men, it raised the question how they would take care of the citizens they were supposed to protect. Kallus could imagine soldiers questioning this as well. It could lead to some defectors.

And he realized that’s where Layne’s powers were:

He was not afraid to speak the truth. He was not afraid to rally for those who he thought needed help. Being vocal and speaking out with no fear of repercussions… 

Well, that was brave and stupid.

Kallus had hoped spending the day with Layne would help narrow his list of possible rebel spies. After a speech like that, Kallus couldn’t say the singer was clear of that.

It was this moment, Kallus realized this mission was going to be harder than he thought. 


	3. J.J.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another week on the mission, Kallus finds out that he has a lot in common with one of the Lucky Lekku boys...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of my new favorite things is making up names for Star Wars bands~
> 
> This fic is now a podfic. You can hear chapters one and two here:  
> https://twitter.com/JaigEyesAndJedi/status/1153844511216459778

Kallus secretly wished he had some kind of snack to enjoy as he watched the antics around him, because _this_ was what he had been expecting when he took this job. In hyperspace on their way to their next concert, Layne and Estin were almost nose to nose in the main lounge area of their luxury ship in the middle of a very dramatic, and, in Kallus’ opinion, petty argument. J.J. lounged in a chair trying to work on a datapad, but the rising volume of his bandmates made it difficult. Kiyani sat across from Kallus at a table as she enjoyed her tea (with a touch of liquor in it) acting like nothing was happening as she perused tabloid news.

On second glance, Kallus saw her taking a quiz deciding what color tooka cat she was. 

The ship was the most expensive ship Kallus had ever ridden on. It was a medium sized yacht with five levels, three cafeterias, multiple recreation and work out rooms, a built in studio, and the entire top floor hosted The Lucky Lekku and their top security staff. Kallus stayed with the regular security staff on the floor below. All the lights, sound equipment, instruments, costumes, and everything they needed for a show was loaded into the bottom level. Their sixty-person staff rode in style, were free to move about the ship, and The Lucky Lekku happily interacted with them during trips, taking time to get to know them the best they could.

Only two areas were off limits: the Lekku’s personal rooms and this common room. The only reason Kallus was here in the first place was because Kiyani wanted to check in to make sure he was briefed with security for the next stop. It was an aquatic planet, one that the rest of the security staff was prepared for. Kallus had yet to learn the challenges of an aquatic planet. But when the boys started arguing, she picked up her datapad and started her cat quiz.

Kallus found himself enjoying these briefings with Kiyani, finding these security tactics something he could use in his ISB work. He never would have thought of fans swimming under a floating stage to sneak a close look at the Lucky Lekku. Kallus imagined how a rebel insurgent could sneak under an Imperial base the same way.

But his briefing had been interrupted when Estin, usually the most silent of the boys, stormed into the room with an empty plate smeared with the remnants of gravy. Minutes later Layne and Estin were nose to nose in the middle of the room.

Estin motioned to the plate, “You should of asked first!”

Layne rolled his eyes, “You should've labeled it! ‘Estin’s mynock: Do Not Eat.’”

“You saw me open the package! You knew it was my Mom’s roasted mynock!”

A little grin spread across Layne’s face, “I did always love your mom’s cooking.”

“You insufferable bitch!” Jade flared into Estin’s cheeks as a bit of his Twi’lek accent slipped in. “It was a present for me!”

“Well, I don’t know what it’s like to get a mother’s home cooked-”

“You don’t get to pull the dead mom card on me this time!”

“To all the Gods!” J.J. finally had enough and got to his feet. He wedged between the two of them and shoved them a few feet apart. “That’s enough. Layne, that was a dick move. You knew it belonged to Estin. We all did. You owe him an apology and will buy him a mynock dinner.”

Layne started to protest.

But J.J. shoved a finger in his face. “Walk away. Now.”

Huffing, Layne flicked his teal lekku off his shoulder and stormed down the hallway towards his room. Moments later, the door slammed.

“Such a child,” J.J. shook his head. Facing Estin, he gently took the plate. “I’ll get this washed up. You go rest before you get another migraine today.”

Estin threw up his hand in the direction Layne went, “He’s the worst sometimes!”

“Yeah, but you love him.”

“I hate that I do!” Estin snipped back before stomping away towards the spa room built into the deck.

Really, this ship had almost anything. The only thing it was missing was a pool, and the previous day, Estin and Layne joked about where they would put one before J.J., the most rational of the boys, shot down that idea. Pools were terrible ideas in spaceships.

J.J. glanced to Kiyani and a wide-eyed Kallus before waving the plate, “I’m heading to bed.”

Kiyanu nodded, “Busy day tomorrow. Goodnight.”

With that, J.J. left the room with a dirty plate.

Kallus finally blinked and said quietly, “So, that’s, um… Is that?”

“Quite normal,” Kiyani set the datapad to the side. “Those boys really do love each other. But while they’re on tour, they do not get much of a break from each other. They’re like siblings driving each other crazy.”

“I see,” Kallus nodded. He didn’t have any siblings, but he had plenty of friends who did. He had heard many stories of crazy childhood antics. “Shall we continue with the briefing?”

“You have most of the basics. I’ll tell Mateo to guide you through the rest tomorrow.” Kiyani stood quickly and gathered her things. “I have more work to do. But don’t worry, Alex. You’re picking everything up really well. I’m amazed this is only your second security job. Where was the other place you worked again?”

“Night security for a corporation on Coruscant. They were pretty strict and organized. I prefer this much more.”

“Keep up the good work. See yourself out,” Kiyani nodded her head and shuffled towards a built in library.

Taking a long slow breath, Kallus gathered up his datapad and rose to his feet. Perhaps he would visit the security’s spa room the deck below. He might as well take advantage of it. He probably would never get a cushier assignment like this ever again with his ISB work. 

The turbolift back down was at the end of the hallway past the Lekku’s bedrooms. He quietly passed by Layne’s room with its closed door. He knew Estin wasn’t in his room.

But as he passed, he paused at the last door on the right that was half open. He heard a familiar melody he hadn’t heard for a long time:

_Snekrow_.

His memories flooded back to childhood when he would lay in the floor listening to his father’s Snekrow albums. They would act out performances in their living room, ignoring mother’s scolding when they would hop on the furniture. Snekrow was an older band, one well established in the Republic for their power ballads, wild hair, and leather costumes as they riffed hard guitar solos, powerful bass, electric piano, and drums. They had been loud, boisterous, and rebellious…

...part of the reason why it was hard to hear their music anymore on Imperial channels. Music like that had been banned, but he would occasionally hear it from time to time on random Wild Space worlds. 

Kallus stood outside the door remembering each lyric as “Nebula Heart Swirl” drifted from the open door. His lips mouthed the next line, before the music suddenly paused.

“Do you want to come in?” J.J. called out to him. He lounged in a chair, just visible through the half open door. He was more relaxed, wearing a sleeveless nightshirt exposing his broad shoulders and muscled arms. He was the tallest and most physically imposing of the three Lekku Boys. His smile was wide and welcoming.

“Sorry,” Kallus leaned in the doorway. “I… I haven’t heard Snekrow in years. That was my father’s favorite band.”

“I love them too. I heard them for the first time on one of our early tours, and I’ve never turned back.” J.J. waved him in.

Kallus hesitated. Kiyani had stated there were very strict rules about giving the singers their privacy. He didn’t want to risk getting fired from his security detail or even demoted to a lower position that would keep him away from his investigation.

Though, J.J. was inviting him inside, and it would be an opportunity to get closer to the Twi’lek.

Still, Kallus offered in a soft voice, “I don’t wish to intrude.”

“I’ll handle our manager if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Since it was decided, Kallus eased open the door and stepped inside. He hadn’t been in any of their personal rooms before. It was a suite setup with a small living area. He could see two doors against the far wall leading to a bathroom and bedroom. He didn’t know quite what to expect from their living areas, but Kallus wasn’t expecting this.

J.J. living area was set up more like a home for a punk rock musician, not a pop idol. An amp with three expensive electric guitars and a bass was displayed in the corner. The artwork on the walls were posters from heavy genre and punk rock bands. The lights were more toned down, a slight red ambiance tinged the running lights along the top wall boards. The red helped the lilac Twi’lek blend in with his surroundings. Even the furniture was darker with gray, black, and white accented choices.

Everything was clean and polished, neat and orderly.

“Not what you expected?” J.J. smirked.

“No?” Kallus chuckled. “No, it’s not.”

“Estin’s room is more Ryloth zen while Layne’s is more Coruscanti modern. We each have our own tastes.”

A shelf caught Kallus’ eye and he gasped in wonder shuffling over to it. It was lined with data-albums of rock bands from the Republic era. Most of them were banned now, lost to the change of time. He could see from the wear that they were all originals.

J.J. came over beside him, “You’re a fan of old rock?”

“Again, my father was, and I used to listen to it all the time. It’s hard to find these old albums anymore.”

“Yeah, I know,” a touch of bitterness was in J.J.’s voice. But it was brief as he continued, “Does your dad still listen to his old albums.”

Kallus felt a small knot curl in his stomach, “My… My father passed during the Clone Wars serving in the Republic army. He was an intelligence officer and was killed in the line of duty.” It was part of the reason Kallus went into the field that he did.

J.J. frowned, “I’m sorry. He must have been brave.”

“He was,” Kallus looked back to the row of music. “And funny, smart, with a wickedly unique laugh. It was this weird wheezing sound that always made my mother giggle along with him. They were terribly in love. She’s never been the same since.”

_Why was he suddenly being so open?_ Kallus shouldn’t be saying so many truths to a person he was investigating. Perhaps it was hearing something so formative in his childhood years that made him speak? He had buried those memories down long ago. The Empire wasn’t a place for sentiments like those. 

Kallus quickly changed the subject pointing to the guitars in the corner, “Do you play?”

“Yeah! I’m not as good as I would like,” J.J. went towards the instruments.

Kallus spotted on the back of J.J.’s shoulder a much lighter shade of pink. It was a scar, long, jagged, and erratic as it spilled out from under his shirt from his back to the top of his arm. Kalus knew that J.J. wasn’t ashamed of the blemish like probably other pop idols would be. The singer often wore sleeveless shirts costumes or pose for shirtless photoshoots.

Watching the Twi’lek pick up the guitar and sling the strap over his shoulder, Kallus ventured, “Can I ask something that might be a little personal?”

“Yes, Layne is annoying but he means well,” J.J. joked. “I’m kidding. Go ahead.”

“How did you get that back scar?”

J.J. smiled sadly and gripped the neck of the guitar, “I got it when I was young during the Clone Wars. Our village was under attack from the Separatists. I remember an explosion… feeling pain… and then the next thing I knew I was being carried by a clone trooper with golden markings on his armor. He swore he would get me back to my parents. I could hear blaster fire but I was in and out of consciousness. I even thought I saw a Jedi or at least his purple lightsaber, but I don’t know for sure. That man saved my life, got me to a medic, and I woke up with my parents at my bedside. I hate that I never got to thank that man.”

Kallus recalled some of his prep information for the mission, “It makes sense now why you’re vocal about veterans rights for clones.”

“The Empire just forgot about them, cast them away like they were nothing,” J.J. shook his head, one of his lekku sliding off his shoulder. “Those men are heroes.”

Kallus had only interacted once with a clone during his training. The gruff old man was worn, missing an eye, and always had a haunted look. But boy, that old clone could bark out orders and make Imperial cadets work. Kallus never considered talking with him more. A twinge of regret sunk into him.

Honestly, Kallus said, “Thank you for sharing that with me.”

“Everyone on the ship knows. It’s not a big secret.”

“I am the new guy.”

“And you’re pretty cool too if you like Snekrow.” J.J. turned on the amp, keeping the volume low to be courteous to rooms around his, and plucked out a simple guitar riff. It wasn’t perfect, but it was good enough to show his practice and hard work. “Do you play?”

“I don’t play any instruments, and I rather think that I’d be bad at it,” Kallus admitted sliding his hands in his pockets.

“Everyone’s bad at first,” J.J. picked up the second guitar and held it out to him.

Kallus gawked. That instrument was clearly worth more than half a year’s worth of paychecks with the ISB. He quickly threw up his hands, “I’d be scared to break it!”

“Then don’t drop it.”

“No, really, I would-”

There was a knock at the door. Both relief from not having to take an expensive guitar and the fear he was caught in a Lekku room rushed over Kallus.

But the door opened and it was Estin. He was momentarily surprised to see Kallus in there, but ignored him to hold up a datapad in his hand, “Just thought you should know your new poem is trending on non-Imperial channels.”

J.J. put down the second guitar and slid his behind his back. Taking the datapad, he smiled, “Whoa! More than normal. It’s always the shittiest stuff that gets all the attention. I wrote that in like twenty minutes!”

Kallus had become aware of these poems and lyrics that J.J. would post to his personal social media page. They were unused song lyrics, thoughts, feelings, and musings shared with their fans. Almost always written in their native Ryl language, the poems had become an off-duty focus of Kallus’ in the privacy of his room after his bunkmate went to sleep. He would translate them for hours trying to find any indication of J.J. being the possible rebel. But Ryl was an intricate language, and most of the subtleties went over Kallus’ head. So while they were all truly musings about J.J.’s daily activity or song lyrics to be possibly used in the future, Kallus had yet to spot anything out of the ordinary with the posts.

Kallus motioned towards the door, “I should get going. We start set up early in the morning. Thank you for letting me see your music collection.”

J.J. smirked, “Next time I’ll let you hear my limited edition B-Side cut of the Black Album by The Twisted Torans.”

Kallus gave a huge pause. The Twisted Torans was a punk rock Pantoran band, another favorite of his father’s. Kallus had never heard of this Black Album. That was almost enough to make him stay. 

He instead pointed his finger at J.J., “Deal. Next time. Good night.”

“Night, Alex!” J.J. nodded and watched the man go out.

 

 

J.J.’s eyes shifted to Estin. His friend was watching the bedroom door after Kallus had closed it. Frowning, J.J. asked, “What?”

“I don’t know,” Estin said quietly. Knitting his brow a moment, he glanced back to J.J., “Just… be careful what you say to that Kallus guy. There’s something off about him.”

 

 


	4. Kiyani

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Agent Kallus finally gets to do a bit of spy work but at what cost?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers for Charles Soule's run of the Darth Vader comic for the Burning Seas arc.

Kiyani hadn’t been lying when she said setting up a stage on an aquatic world would be difficult. They arrived on Mon Cala five days before, the crew wanting to give themselves extra time before the next show. The stage itself would be floating in the ocean attached to the mainland. The audience would be in the water. It surely was a difficult task, but this was one of their bestselling shows. Unlike a building that held a limited number of seats, the ocean allowed them to have more room for people with floating monitor screens on buoys so even the furthest away audience member could watch.

They stayed on one of the few cities built above water where the friendly and excited Mon Calamari and Quarren people were happy to help with anything they might need.

Kallus also noted the extra Imperial forces around the city, the Tie Fighters that would pass overhead on routine flight routes, and the Star Destroyer lingering in view up in orbit. Mon Cala had been one of the first planets to speak out against the Empire about a decade ago. Kallus heard reports of an elite group, possibly Lord Vader and his Inquisitors, coming to the planet to quell any anti-Imperial sentiments. Conflicting reports stated it was an elite squad of Death Troopers who had the honors. Regardless of who stopped the planet, it was clear that these aquatic people had fallen in order ever since their king, Lee-Char, had been imprisoned for his treachery. 

“These people are desperate for a break,” Layne commented between their practices. The three Lekku boys had been outside on a balcony, getting some fresh air, and watching the citizens move below them. 

The Lucky Lekku decided then to take the extra days of set up to go out among the people, even journeying below the oceans to see the great underwater cities of Mon Cala.

...Or what was left of them anyway. The battle to capture Lee-Char destroyed many of those populaces. 

Now on the morning of the show, Kallus entered the mainstage auditorium of a large theatre loaned to the band for practices. The building was vast and sunk deep in the water. It had two stages above the ocean built on land and three more below the water that were connected with a series of tunnels. It was the equivalent of a five story building if the entire thing was on land. Kallus sighed, already exhausted. He and another guard had to haul out an excited Quarren woman from the lobby after she snuck in through a staff door. He was now slightly damp, smelt a touch like fish, and hoped he could get a shower soon.

Kallus strolled through the side door leading to backstage, slipping into the wings to report the incident to the security director. Then, he noticed everyone standing around and waiting. Estin tapped his foot on the stage clearly annoyed with the situation. Kiyani was barking at the security director, Mateo, who was just as flustered as she was.

The tall Pau’an woman’s features were tinged red on her white cheeks, “What do you mean no one has eyes on J.J. or Layne!? They can’t just vanish into thin air!”

Mateo had a finger on the comm in his ear listening to chatter with his officers, “They’re checking the back hallways now. Last time Layne was seen was heading towards the Black Box theatre while J.J. was spotted in the hallways near the thrust stage.”

“Those idiots,” Kiyani grew more irritated. “I was very clear that we were practicing in the proscenium today!”

Estin chirped up, “Yeah! It’s not difficult to read a memo.”

Kallus pursed his lips. With the maze like hallways, plenty of places to hide, and a group of above and underwater fans trying to find a way into the building, it wasn’t ideal to have two missing band members. He turned and hurried into the back hallways. The Black Box stage was the closest to start his search for them. 

_Damn_. This kind of chaos would also be a perfect cover for any rebel spy. Everyone was running around like Tooka Cats with their tails on fire. The entire orderly system had fallen apart into panic mode. Even their Imperial stormtroopers on loan for the event had been pulled into the search.

Kallus decided then that enough people were looking for the other Lekku boys. It was time to do his real job.

He turned down another back hallway walking past the green rooms, dressing rooms, and rehearsal spaces for smaller shows. Reaching a staircase, he began to descend to the lower levels. The temperature changed the further he went below the water's surface. The entire security staff had studied the schematics of the building before setup. The bottom two floors were completely flooded and underwater. They would do all of their work on the fourth and fifth floors. The third floor was the in-between, where the water hallways and rooms were covered with above catwalks for those who wanted to stay dry. There were no stages on this level, just paths to get between the underwater and above.

This would also be the easiest way for a rebel to get into the building. While they did have a few seatroopers employed, the security staff relied on the theatre’s staff to keep the doors locked to the outside for the underwater entrances. The theatre staff hadn’t been thoroughly vetted by Kiyani’s crew. From what Kallus could tell, their excitement about having _The_ Lucky Lekku in their building made their work a bit sloppy too. It wouldn’t be hard to get by one of the theatre’s staff. 

Kallus stepped out onto a catwalk and crossed over the pool. He could see two Mon Calamari and a Quarren having a conversation in the “room” beneath, but they wore the uniform of the theatre. His boots were silent as he crossed the metal bridge and turned the corner. 

He paused and backed up, peeking around the edge.

In the next room, climbing up a ladder out of the pool was a female Mon Calamari. She was pale gray in color, probably hailing from the polar regions of the planet. But her light eyes made her stand out from other Mon Calamari from that region who usually had darker irises. This woman was familiar, like an itch in the back of Kallus’ mind. He’d seen her before, but it wasn’t in the briefing for this show. He knew her back from the ISB, but he couldn’t place where. Her dress was nice and quite formal, possibly a diplomat? Or maybe she was a senator that he’d seen on the holonet. But she didn’t wear any badges or identification that she could be a government official.

The woman turned toward the walkway, and Kallus backed up fully around the corner. He spotted a ladder on the wall leading up to a higher catwalk. Silently slinking down the wall, he quickly climbed the rungs and pulled himself over. There wasn't anyone else up here. He could still see the people in the water below him.

Moments later, the woman passed underneath him. On the back of her head, he spotted a crooked series of spots, very dark and distinct on her light skin. It was in the shape of a crescent moon.

_Chendera_ , Kallus realized as it all clicked in his mind. He knew exactly who she was. He’d helped another agent research for a mission concerning her fraud and treason against the Empire. Chendera had ties with King Lee-Char and the royal family. She had escaped at the last moment before her arrest. But it had been a very under wraps operation, strictly handled by the ISB. The stormtroopers here probably knew nothing about her past. She possibly looked like every other Mon Calamari on the planet to the soldiers.

Kallus couldn’t just call her out or inform the troopers of his knowledge. It could easily blow his cover. But it was also too convenient that she would show up at the same building as a Lucky Lekku concert where there could be a possible rebel spy. In fact to get into the building, she would need some kind of clearance… presuming that the theatre staff didn’t slip up. 

Something was happening. He needed to act. He watched her drop back into the water below and swim into a different room out of his sight.

Taking out a pocket sized datapad, no bigger than a communicator, he quickly sliced his way into the Imperial signal. All undercover agents had an anonymous ID number, but he would need proof to back up his claim. Kallus sent a description of Chendera to the stormtrooper captain in charge of the Lucky Lekku, warning of a possible Rebel spy.

He included Colonel Yularen in the message; Kallus’ boss could provide the information the stormtroopers needed to have Chendera arrested. It would keep Kallus’ cover intact.

He probably wouldn’t find out what Chendera was doing here until his return of Coruscant after this mission was complete. All he could do was thwart the possibility of something more. 

Kallus had been gone from the Lekku too long, and he needed to get back to his assignment.

Returning to the stage above, he found J.J. being scolded by Kiyani as Estin continued to be annoyed by the entire ordeal. The largest of the Lekku Boys looked absolutely tiny as the Pau’an woman bared her sharp teeth enunciating how pissed off she was. 

Ten minutes later, Layne finally joined them. His clothes were wet as water dripped from his lekku.

Kiyani’s shrilled, “What in the blazes happened to you!?”

“I took a wrong turn looking for the bathroom and fell into a hallway full of water,” Layne whined. “Can I go change?”

“Oh… my Gods… Help me not murder these morons!” Kiyani pressed her fingers into her temple and massaged it. At least all of the band members were accounted for. “Hurry up and change. And don’t think I’m going to let the crew clean up this stage! Find a towel and wipe up all this water! This is your mess, Layne, not theirs!”

“Yes, ma’am!” Layne hurried away.

Kallus went over to Mateo, who looked relieved to have everyone accounted for. Kallus gruffly joked, “What a day…”

“Tell me about it,” he shook his head. “Go back out in the lobby and make sure everything is secure. After that, take a break. You haven’t had one yet today.”

“Neither have you,” Kallus pointed out.

“That’s why it sucks to be the boss,” Mateo winked.

Kallus took his time checking the lobby, the concessions area, the ticket booths, and the area outside of the theatre. He didn’t see any sign of Chendera. He didn’t dare check his message with so many people around.

Taking his lunch break and finding some catered food for the band staff back in the green room, Kallus balanced his plate on one hand and a cup of tea in the other. A few members of the security staff were sitting in the back corner of the stage eating together. All were observing a quite hurried run-through of the Lucky Lekku song set for that night.

Just as Kallus bit into his pita sandwich, a voice broke through the practice as a woman burst through the side door from backstage. Two stormtroopers quickly followed and tackled her to the ground.

All the security team including Kallus dropped everything to encircle the Lucky Lekku and Kiyani. Looking out in the house seats as the stormtroopers pulled her up, Kallus saw that they had found Chendera.

“What the hell is this!” J.J. shouted from the stage. “What are you guys doing?”

The captain of the stormtroopers walked up to the stage to face three very pissed off looking Twi’leks, “This woman was found backstage with no authorization to be here.”

Layne opened his mouth, but Kiyani held up a hand to silence him before anything rash spilled out. The Pau’an woman, with grace and reverence, gazed down at the stormtrooper, “Chendera is a social activist who has raised tens of thousands of credits for the Mon Cala people to help them rebuild after their cities were demolished by the Empire. She is a hero and welcomed here. I authorized her to be added last minute to tonight’s show as a speaker.”

Kallus glanced at Mateo. It looked like this was the first he was hearing this information, but Kallus knew Mateo was loyal to the Lekku. He would roll along with whatever was said or needed. Sometimes too blindly. 

Kiyani had authorized an Imperial traitor to be part of the show? And she didn’t clear it with the security detail beforehand? Several red flags went off in Kallus’ mind. He had of course researched Kiyani. Her record showed her donating to several relief causes like the one she claimed Chendera was supporting. Could Kiyani not know that Chendera had ties to treason? Kiyani was a crafty woman, but Kallus also knew that it took months of work for the ISB to finally bring a warrant to Chendera. Kiyanu was clever, but Chendera might have outsmarted her.

It didn’t clear Kiyani in Kallus’ mind.

The Captain shrugged, “She apparently had several outstanding Imperial warrants for fraud and treason. She’s under arrest.”

“Please!” Chendera cried out as they tightened the binders on her wrists. “I haven’t done anything wrong! This is a mistake! Kiyani!”

Layne finally shouted, “Wait! Wait... I’m sure we can work all of this out. You guys are being rash!”

“Guess you can sic your fans on us if you don’t like it,” the Captain sneered back. 

Layne’s jaw dropped at the audacity of the trooper.

Turning, the Captain motioned to his men, and the troopers hauled out the pleading Chendera. The door to the lobby slammed behind them leaving everyone silent for several moments.

Kallus looked over at the group. J.J. shook his head as deep red sunk into his lilac cheeks. Layne paced angrily, now ranting at whoever would listen in the moment. Kiyani kept her eyes on the door they left, her face unreadable. But it was clear she was thinking very hard about something.

Then, Kallus looked at the last member. Estin was staring directly at him. Eyes narrowed, focused solely on him. Kallus held his gaze for a moment, looked away, then glanced back.

The Twi’lek man glared him down another several moments before following Kiyani and the other Lekku off the stage. They had a show to get ready for.

Kallus swallowed hard.

Did… Did Estin somehow know who he really was?

**Author's Note:**

> I'm going to be real truthful up front, this will be a side project of mine. So updates might be slow. I hope you enjoyed it so far!


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